Snow Angel
by Animercom
Summary: Shuichi finds himself running late for work and has to shovel the driveway only for Kaede to announce that she lost the car keys. Tension runs high. A short, fluffy winter fic! Written for Saimatsu Christmas Gift Exchange 2019.


To whoever my Secret Santa was I hope you enjoy reading this! :D

* * *

Sighing, Shuichi flopped onto the couch. Kaede flashed her husband a smile. "Finished working? So how's the big case coming?"

Yawning, Shuichi rubbed his face. He sank back against the poufy couch. "I think I'm finally closing in on the perp. All these weeks of late nights are starting to pay off."

Gaze downcast, Kaede bit her lip. "That's good…" Her stomach churned. _I really need to tell him… _

Shuichi pulled a heavy cross-stitch blanket over his lap. He nodded at the collection of movies on the coffee table. "What are we watching?"

_He's gonna be mad, but I have to tell him eventually… Better tell him now._

"Hey." Flinching, Kaede looked up. Hand on her knee, Shuichi was smiling at her. "Stop worrying. I'm all right."

Kaede gazed at his face. At his pale skin. The dark circles under his eyes. The slump of his shoulders. "Good. Yes." Kaede squeezed Shuichi's hand. "Everything's fine. Everything's just fine. So! What do you want to watch? I was thinking of a couple things."

"Anything but another Christmas chick flick, please."

"Ugh, rude! None of them are! Geez…"

* * *

Grunting, Shuichi pushed the shovel into the mound of snow in the driveway. He dumped the snow to the side. Exhaling, Shuichi straightened. He scanned the front yard. White blanketed the ground. Their modest two-story home with white siding and red shutters stood against the flurry of snowflakes. Icicles hung from the large knotted tree besides the house. A stretch of twenty feet of driveway still left to clear. And scraping the ice off the Honda's windows would take another five minutes.

Scowling, Shuichi thrust the shovel in the ground. _I'm going to be so late for work… Stupid forecast didn't predict that we'd get six inches overnight. _He muttered, "I knew I should have salted the driveway just in case. Damn it all."

The front door opened. Shuichi's wife, Kaede, stepped onto the small porch. She wore a pom-pom hat, pastel pink coat with large buttons and a fur trim, and black pants. "About time," grumbled Shuichi. He raised his voice. "Hurry up and help, Kaede! I'm already super late!"

Kaede shivered in her fur boots. The air was a bitterly cold twenty degrees Fahrenheit. "I'm sure your uncle would understand, Shuichi."

The detective stopped shoveling to give her a narrow-eyed look. "That's not the point. We're working adults now. I shouldn't rely on him." _Come on, Kaede, you know that. _"Well? What are you waiting for? Come on and help already!"

Kaede bit her lip. Head down, the pianist gripped her forearms with gloved hands. "Um… actually. The car keys aren't on the peg. I searched the house and couldn't find them. They must have slipped out of my pocket when I was unloading the groceries from the car last night…"

Shuichi dropped the shovel. Stared at her, jaw slightly agape. "You _what_?" He raised his arms to the side. "So the keys are buried underneath all this snow?!"

Kaede gulped. Nodded. "Actually, I noticed the empty nail last night… And I was gonna tell you right away! But you were busy working on that big case and then we fell asleep watching that movie. I didn't know it was going to snow. I'm sorry."

Eyes screwed shut, Shuichi sucked in a deep breath. Exhaled slowly. His breath clouded in the cold air. Jaw set, Shuichi shoveled with tight, angry bursts of movement. "Search for the keys."

Kaede sighed. She stepped off the porch. Trudged through the snow. She skirted around the stone angels she bought to decorate the yard. Shaking her head, Kaede picked up a spare shovel.

Five minutes passed in silence. Shuichi blinked away the snowflakes collecting on his eyelashes. Sweat dripped down his forehead. Stuffed in his navy puffer jacket Shuichi felt like he was being cooked. He glanced up. Muttering to herself, Kaede was sifting through the snow with the shovel. Shuichi threw out a hand to the side. "What are you doing? You're not even digging! You'll never find the keys that way!"

Kaede shot Shuichi a look over her shoulder before turning. "I don't want to hurt my fingers."

Shuichi threw down the shovel. "You use that excuse to get out of everything!"

"I do_ too_ help around here! I clean the house and cook and–"

"Yeah, when you're not worrying about your fingers getting burned."

"Fine!" Kaede threw up her hands in the air. "I'll help shovel, okay? Geez." Lips pressed into a line, Kaede trekked through the snow to the driveway.

Shuichi grimaced. "Ah, damnit," he mumbled. "No, Kaede, it's fine. You have to search for the keys."

"No, I'll do it!"

"Someone needs to so just go and do it!"

"No, I–!" Kaede slipped on the asphalt. "Ahh!" She landed on her back, hard.

"Kaede!" Shuichi bolted towards her. His foot slid on ice. Shuichi crashed down onto his chin, jarring his head.

"Owww…" moaned Kaede.

Shuichi raised himself up onto his elbows. He had fallen only a half a foot away from her. "You all right?"

Kaede sat up, wincing. "My butt hurts."

"Well, I think I ripped my pants." They looked at each other. Burst out laughing. Shuichi apologized, "I'm sorry, Kaede. I shouldn't have yelled." Kaede shook her head, snow cascading down like a waterfall. Shuichi laughed. "You got snow all in your hair."

"Who cares?" Kaede flopped back onto the ground, arms spread wide. "Mmm…" She closed her eyes. Laughing, she made a snow angel.

Smiling, Shuichi shook his head. He rose to his feet. Sighing, Kaede sat up. "I'll help you shovel. Or search for the keys or whatev–"

Shuichi raised a hand. "That's okay. Let's just go inside and have some hot chocolate."

Kaede blinked. "Huh? But what about work?"

Shuichi bent down, offering out his hand. "What's another ten minutes? I'd much rather spend it with you, my snow angel."

Kaede beamed. Clasped his hand. Shuichi could feel her warmth through their gloves. "That sounds good to me."


End file.
